The Heal Endo Boutique
A list of affiliate links to products and tests that are seriously cool, helpful, and backed by science. I personally have saught out these products and tested them (rather than companies selling themselves to me), and am so impressed I’m bringing them to you.
Thorne Gut Health Test
The Thorne Gut Health Test uses Metagenomics technology to identify all of genes in your gut microbiome known to science. That's a lot of information! Metagenomics is the most accurate way to see what's going on in your microbiome, with testing for bacteria (good, opportunistic, and problematic), yeasts, and parasites. Incredible for sleuthing out tricky hidden infections or overgrowths, at an affordable price!
How to test? It’s easy. You simply poop as normal, then use their special “sticky” wipe (with gloves) to wipe your derriere. Put the sticky wipe in a little container and ship back. Voila! Now sit back and wait for your results.
What do results look like? You can view them on your phone or computer to see everything that’s going on in an easy-to-understand “front of house” visual. Let Thorne break down for you your microbe diversity, inflammation, parasites, yeast levels, microbial functions, vitamin biosynthesis, and short-chain fatty acid-producing capacity. You can also download a very complex “back end” data to send to your doctor or naturopath, an incredibly detailed set of data about everything sneaking around in your microbiome.
What about the GIMap? If you’ve heard of the Genova GIMap stool test as the best, I agree it was for a long time. However, current data and experiences within the gut health world of nerds is concluding it’s no longer number one. More expensive, quite varied results (with the same stool, which means something is off), and challenges working the company for answers has prompted many practitioners to find better options. Luckily, new technology combined with forward vision has helped birth these newer, and better, types of Metagomics tests (the other great one is by Microbiome Labs, but it’s 2x the cost).
Cost: Less than $200, to discover once and for all if you have a microbial, yeast, or parasite imbalance in need of addressing.
Food Marble Breath Test
This is the coolest contraption I’ve seen in a looOoOOooong time for us endo gals. It’s a hand-held, at home breath test, allowing you to test for SIBO, carbohydrate malabsorption, and food tolerances at home. You can test up to 10x a day, and use forever. Conversely, one SIBO test costs around $300, so you can see how you’d start to save a lot of money. I’m so pumped on this product I wrote a blog (read it for lots of info on the Food Marble) and personally use it all the time.
Which Food Marble? I recommend the Aire2, which measures both hydrogen and methane gases.
How does it work? After pairing the device with your phone, you hold your breath for 3-seconds, then blow into the device for 5 seconds. Now get ready because your results are here in 2 seconds! Nope, no more waiting for shipping to a lab, and lab analysis. You will now NOW what your fermentation levels are. Serious, it’s cool.
Want more information? Again, read this blog. It details the Food Marble and my love for it.
Cost: The Food Marble Aire2 is $249, get 15% off with my coupon code: 15ENDO
OmegaQuaint Omega 3 Tests
These tests measure the amount of Omega' 3 fats in the blood. Studies show 8% is the optimal level of omega-3. Studies also show us with endo may be R-A-D-I-C-A-L-L-Y deficient. Moreover, that deficiency may be correlated with pain levels, inflammation levels, and infertility. Time to test? Yes, I agree.
Which test is best? There are 3 varieties of tests, with the most affordable ($50 plus 10% discount) being a simple view of your omega 3 levels. This is great if you want some plain information about just how low your omega 3 status is so you can work on bringing it up. The low price is also nice so you can repeat the test in a few months of supplementation and cold-water fatty fish eating. The other two options have some extra information about Omega 6 levels, and trans-fats. This may be helpful is you’re a nerd (like me) and want the info, or if you’re working with a nutritionist. Otherwise, I think you’ll be OK with the cheapest, most straightforward option.
What do I do with the results? If your results show that you’re indeed deficient, you can use this cool calculator to find your unique “prescription” dose of omega’s to bring you up to sufficiency in 3 months! Yup, no more waiting around wondering if you’re deficient or not. Test, consume lots of omega 3’s, and bring your tissue levels back up.
How does it work? You just need to poke yourself with the fingerpick test to get a wee-drop of blood. Follow the instructions, send back, and you’ll get your results in 2-4 weeks.
Cost: $50-100 depending on the test.